by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office has released the 2016 update of its Multi-Year Program Plan, which serves as an operational guide to help the BETO manage and coordinate its activities. The plan
Department of Energy (DOE)
Back TO HOMEDOE Releases First Annual Energy Employment Report
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy has released its first annual energy employment analysis. The report focuses on how changes in America’s energy profile are affecting national employment in the nation’s multiple energy sectors. According
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
University of Tennessee Center Continues Efforts to Develop Low-Cost Biofuels and Bio-Based Products
(AZO CleanTech) A few years ago, petroleum-based products, including gasoline, were not available at affordable prices, unlike the case today. However, the prices are likely to return to the same level in the coming years. Due to this impending scenario, researchers
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
BIRD Foundation Grant (up to $1 Million) Application Deadline for Proposals: June 29, 2016
The US-Israel Binational R&D Foundation (BIRD Foundation) is a joint program of the US Dept of Commerce and Israeli Ministry of Economy and Trade that provides grants up to $1 million for research collaboration between American and Israeli businesses. It's
March 31, 2016 Read Full Article
Explosive Growth: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to Nanocellulose and Its Applications
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last year, we reported that Research & Markets projected the “Nanocellulose Market by Type (Cellulose nanocrystals, Cellulose nanofibrils, cellulose nanocomposites, and others) to reach $250 Million by 2019, signifying annualized CAGR of 19% between 2014 and 2019. Heft growth
March 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Meet The New 'Tool' In Big Oil's Efforts To Scuttle Ethanol +VIDEO: An Open Letter to George "David" Banks
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) I just finished reading your article "Renewable Fuel Standard Continues To Devastate," published in February on the High Plains Leader & Times website. ... In fact, your article looks suspiciously like an article that
March 22, 2016 Read Full Article
RFA Thanks Lowe’s Quick Action Following Inaccurate Ethanol Signs
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association today expressed deep appreciation to Lowe’s for responding so quickly to the industry’s request for the store to remove signs that inaccurately warned consumers to not use ethanol blends in small engines. In a
March 21, 2016 Read Full Article
US Agency Sets Sights on Grass in Bid to Make a Better Biofuel
by Suzanne Goldenberg (The Guardian) Arpa-E project deploys drones and robots to breed fast-growing, drought-resistant and greener biofuel from sorghum which could replace corn ethanol -- A US government agency is trying to build a better biofuel, using a higher energy-producing
March 21, 2016 Read Full Article
Using Microbial Consortia May Boost Success of Biotechnologies
(Phys.Org) Around the world, researchers are studying microbes to see if these tiny organisms can be used to solve a host of problems, from cleaning up toxic waste to providing renewable energy. Unfortunately, attempts to develop biotechnologies often fall short
March 18, 2016 Read Full Article
NREL Updates Survey of Advanced Biofuel Producers in the United States
(U.S. Department of Energy) The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) updated its annual survey of U.S. non-starch ethanol and renewable hydrocarbon biofuels producers. The survey report, titled 2015 Survey of Non-Starch Ethanol and Renewable Hydrocarbon Biofuels Producers, documents important changes
March 18, 2016 Read Full Article
DE-FOA-0001481: Request for Information (RFI): Understanding Scale-Up and Operation Challenges for Integrated Biorefinery Optimization
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) seeks feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to “challenges encountered
March 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Blog: Who Killed the Only EPA Certified E85 Conversion Kit?
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... To write this, I talked to Chris Disher and Max Kinast. As Disher said, it’s a story full of controversy, intrigue and lies. And, even though that conversion kit was ultimately certified by the U.S.
March 15, 2016 Read Full Article
House Hearing Focuses on DOE Loan Guarantee Program
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On March 3, two subcommittees associated with the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology held an oversight hearing on the U.S. Department of Energy’s loan guarantee program. ... Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., defended the DOE’s
March 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuel or Biofraud? The Vast Taxpayer Cost of Failed Cellulosic and Algal Biofuels
by Almuth Ernsting (Independent Science News) ... The disastrous experience with Fischer-Tropsch biofuels is just one part of a much larger failure of cellulosic and algal biofuels, on which billions of dollars of public subsidies have been spent. ... Those are just the largest
March 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Momentum Builds behind Researcher's New Biomass Process
(University of Wisconsin-Madison/Phys.Org) For a world hooked on fossil carbons, the vials of amber syrup in Jim Dumesic's lab are full of sweet potential. Dumesic's group caused a stir in research circles and the media in 2014 by publishing a
March 11, 2016 Read Full Article
BETO Allocates $1.9 Million for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Small Business Vouchers Pilot
(U.S. Department of Energy) In an effort to advance the clean energy economy, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has developed a new initiative to provide technical assistance and collaborative research and development (R&D) opportunities for small businesses in the
March 10, 2016 Read Full Article
Are You Ready for the E30 Challenge?
by Dave VanderGriend (ICM/Urban Air Initiative/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Watertown is challenging conventional wisdom in order for biofuels like ethanol to finally realize their true potential. Conventional wisdom says our nonflex autos can only operate on 10 percent ethanol blends and, at most,
March 10, 2016 Read Full Article
A Conversation with US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
(Industrial Biotechnology) ... My current assessment is that there exists an unlimited sense of opportunity in the biobased products and bioenergy sector. I look at the work being done at the USDA, which is extensive and has been helpful in getting
March 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Sustainable, Affordable Biomass: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to the Biomass Research and Development Initiative
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Institute of Bioenergy, Climate, and Environment (IBCE) and the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Golden Field Office, Bioenergy Technologies Office jointly operate the
March 08, 2016 Read Full Article
What’s Hot, What’s Not: The Digest’s 2016 Visual Guide to the DOE Quadrennial Technology Review
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The DOE’s second Quadrennial Technology Review (QTR) explores the current state of technologies in key energy sectors and the R&D opportunities present in the mid-term. It is intended to frame a blueprint for DOE energy
March 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Popular Government Energy Program Seeks a Big New Twist
by Katie Fehrenbacher (Fortune) ... The ARPA-E Summit is meant to highlight lab research, startups, and corporate R&D projects that the Department of Energy has supported with small grants through its ARPA-E program. That program, which kicked off in 2010,
March 02, 2016 Read Full Article
The Barrel Counters: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to the Energy Information Administration
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) collects, analyzes, and disseminates independent and impartial energy information to promote sound policymaking, efficient markets, and public understanding of energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment.
March 02, 2016 Read Full Article
New Vehicle Initiative Aims to Make Fuel and Engines Work Together More Efficiently
by Reuben Sarkar (Department of Energy) Recently I had the pleasure of briefing members of Congress on EERE’s groundbreaking fuel-engine co-optimization initiative. The new, multi-year project combines previously independent areas of biofuels and engine combustion research and development (R&D) to design
February 27, 2016 Read Full Article
New Way to Reduce Plant Lignin Could Lead to Cheaper Biofuels
(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Berkeley Lab and Joint BioEnergy Institute scientists harness enzyme in effort to cut pretreatment costs -- Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have shown for the first time that
February 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Zeitgeist at the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference
[caption id="attachment_70483" align="alignright" width="260"] LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren visits with Advanced Biofuels USA's Bill Brandon at a pre-conference get-together.[/caption] by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) You might think that annual conferences feel the same year after year. Not true. One of
February 25, 2016 Read Full Article
A New Recipe for Biofuel: Genetic Diversity Can Lead to More Productive Growth
(Phys.Org) ... Today, scientists are exploring how grasses, and switchgrass in particular, can enrich the nation's biofuel supply, which is currently dominated by corn, a crop relatively easy to convert to biofuel but also in demand for food, livestock feed and
February 24, 2016 Read Full Article
Fuel of the Future
by Karen B. Roberts (University of Delaware) UD scientist's research shows promise in creating sustainable algae-based biofuels -- At the University of Delaware, associate scientist Jennifer Stewart is working to create sustainable algae-based biofuels that could reduce carbon dioxide and other harmful
February 24, 2016 Read Full Article
Edgington Letter: The RFS Does Work
by Chris Edgington (Globe Gazette) ... Today, energy represents 5.2 cents of every dollar spent on food versus 6.8 cents in 2008. According to the USDA the average grocery bill is up 1 percent in 2015 vs. 2014 and yet the
February 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Powerful Crap: The Quest to Turn Smelly Sewage into Sweet Biodiesel
by David MacNeal (Ars Technica) The facility smell? “That’s money,” Todd French says. “That’s what it smells like.” -- “By the time it gets here, David, it’s no longer my poop,” says microbiologist Todd French with conviction. “I don’t want
February 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Obama Proposes Increased Funding for BETO
(Algae Industry Magazine) President Obama’s fiscal year (FY) 2017 budget request was released earlier this month, proposing increased funding levels for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The request proposes $278.9 million for the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), which is
February 23, 2016 Read Full Article
ORNL: Titan Probes Depths of Biofuel’s Biggest Barrier
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Ask a biofuel researcher to name the single greatest technical barrier to cost-effective ethanol, and you’re likely to receive a one-word response: lignin. Cellulosic ethanol—fuel derived from woody plants and waste biomass—has the potential to become an
February 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Octane Benefits Highlighted at National Ethanol Conference
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Held Feb. 15 to 17 in New Orleans, the NEC painted a strong future for the ethanol industry in the speakers addressing the conference theme, “Fueling a High Octane Future.” Following the state
February 22, 2016 Read Full Article
US Aims at 30% Penetration of Biomass Carbon in US Transport by 2030: New Federal Report Debut at ABLC 2016
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the Biomass R&D Technical Advisory Committee has recommended “targeting a potential 30% penetration of biomass carbon into the U.S. transportation market by 2030 in a sustainable and cost-effective manner to create jobs, reduce greenhouse gas impacts,
February 22, 2016 Read Full Article
New Method for Bio-Designing Yeast Could Improve Biofuel Production
by Krista Eastman (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) An assistant research specialist at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) has designed a new strain of yeast that could improve the efficiency of making fuel from cellulosic biomass such as switchgrass. Both the yeast
February 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Energy Department Requests Information on Biofuels & Bioproducts Process Pilot Verification Capabilities
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy is seeking input from industry, academia, national laboratories, and other biofuels and bioproducts stakeholders to identify existing pilot- or process development-scale facilities with the capability to perform process verifications for biomass
February 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Issue Brief: Obama FY2017 Budget Proposal: Sustainable Energy, Buildings, Transportation and Climate
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On February 9, 2016, President Obama released his $4.15 trillion fiscal year (FY) 2017 federal budget proposal, a 5 percent increase over 2016. In his final budget request, President Obama is seeking to increase funding
February 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Team Explains the Higher Cellulolytic Activity of a Vital Microorganism
(Phys.org/National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Researchers at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the BioEnergy Science Center (BESC) say better understanding of a bacterium could lead to cheaper production of cellulosic ethanol and other advanced biofuels. Their discovery was
February 10, 2016 Read Full Article
Algae Fuels Boosted by NREL Process
(Algae Industry Magazine) A new biorefinery process developed by scientists at the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has proven to be significantly more effective at producing ethanol from algae than previous research. The process, dubbed Combined Algal Processing (CAP), is
February 10, 2016 Read Full Article
High Tech Mecca: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to Biotech at Sandia National Labs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sandia’s Bioenergy and Defense Technologies department, which is part of Sandia’s Biological and Materials Sciences Center, supports mission areas in biodefense, emerging infectious disease, and biofuels. The department conducts fundamental research in cell biology, immunology, and microbiology,
February 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Short on Sustainable Hydrogen? Here Comes New Water-Splitting Tech to Save the Day
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) You may not know it, but you are short on hydrogen. Right now. We live in a hydrogen-starved world, and it’s expensive to make. And most of what we make is unsustainable, produced from fossil sources.
February 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Blog: More Details on the High Octane Story
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) I really enjoyed learning about research into midlevel ethanol blends from Timothy Theiss and Brian West, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. "E25, E40 for the masses" went live on our website last week
February 09, 2016 Read Full Article
The Extreme 16: Strutting Microbial Terminators Pumping up the Pursuit of Sustainable Molecules
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Take it to the Extreme, with these microscopic wonders that are changing the way we pursue sustainable fuels, renewable chemicals and biobased materials. -- These days, researchers are turning up life forms trapped under hundreds of
February 09, 2016 Read Full Article
NASA Should Be the Key to the Crucial Development of Large Scale Bio-Jetfuel and Rocket Fuel End-to-End Production
by Robert E. Kozak* (Advanced Biofuels USA) In looking at a way to jump-start this country’s bogged down production of biomass-based jetfuel (Jet-A, JP-5, JP-8) and rocket fuel (RP-1/2), the early history of the US space program should serve as
February 08, 2016 Read Full Article
E25, E40 for the Masses
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Widely introducing consumers to 'super premium' ethanol blends could offer substantial benefits, but the barriers to making it happen are significant as well. -- Which needs to come first, a new high-octane midlevel ethanol
February 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces $11.3 Million Available for Mega-Bio: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Energy Department today announced up to $11.3 million in funding to develop flexible biomass-to-hydrocarbon biofuels conversion pathways that can be modified to produce advanced fuels and/or products based on external factors, such as market demand.
February 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Materials – Cleaner Biomass Cookstoves …
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Some of the estimated 4 million premature deaths each year attributed to indoor cookstove smoke might be prevented because of the work of researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Colorado State University and Envirofit International. With 3
February 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Transportation and Industrial Ecology – Making Sustainability Sustainable?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Real-world Industrial Ecology Projects and NREL’s Sustainable Mobility projects show a way forward that EPCOT once charted in our stars. -- ... After all, as population and affluence rise, so too grow the demands for
February 08, 2016 Read Full Article
DE-FOA-0001434: Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement MEGA-BIO: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels (NO. DE-FOA-0001433)
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “MEGA-BIO: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels”. This FOA supports BETO’s goal of
February 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Sandia Launches Algae Testing Facility
(Algae Industry Magazine) The new algae raceway testing facility, opening February 4 at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, California, paves a direct path between laboratory research and solving the demand for clean energy, according to lab researchers. “The success of moving
February 07, 2016 Read Full Article
NREL Conducts Biodiesel Stability Study in HPCR Fuel Systems
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) National Renewable Energy Lab principal engineer Robert McCormick presented results at the 2016 National Biodiesel Conference & Expo in Tampa, Florida, Jan. 25-28, from a recent study on biodiesel stability in high-pressure common rail (HPCR)
February 03, 2016 Read Full Article
BETO-Funded Study Offers Methods to Support a Water-Sustainable Bioenergy Industry
(US Department of Energy) Argonne National Laboratory released a study funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) that examines the potential effects of future biofuel production on freshwater resources in the Missouri River Basin—a region that
January 29, 2016 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to NREL’s The Feasibility of Producing and Using Biomass-Based Diesel and Jet Fuel in the United States
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A primer worth knowing is “The Feasibility of Producing and Using Biomass-Based Diesel and Jet Fuel in the United States”, prepared by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory . It evaluates the technical and economic feasibility
January 29, 2016 Read Full Article
Where Is Sports Car Green Racing in 2016?
by Robert E. Kozak* (Advanced Biofuels USA) This weekend the 49th Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona kicks off the American sports car racing season. It promises to be one of the best with the brand new EcoBoost Ford GT joining
January 28, 2016 Read Full Article
NETL Carbon Capture Technologies to Be Used in Commercial Biomass-to Biofuel Conversion Process with Power Generation
(National Energy Technology Laboratory) The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has granted a license for two patented sorbent technologies that capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from streams of mixed gases and enable cleaner, more-efficient energy production from renewable fuels. The license was
January 28, 2016 Read Full Article
Betting on Biogas Growth in 2016
by Amanda Bilek (Biomass Magazine/Great Plains Institute) ... In the summer of 2014, the USDA released the Biogas Opportunities Roadmap. The release of this roadmap marked the first time that federal agencies made a public commitment to coordinate biogas activities and
January 26, 2016 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to NREL’s High-Octane Mid-Level Ethanol Blend Market Assessment
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This past month, NREL published a critical assessment on the viability of High-Octane Mid-Level Ethanol Blends and the impact on US energy options. The complete assessment is here. NREL writes: The introduction of more stringent standards for
January 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Algae Foundation Collaborates with SFCC on DOE Grant
(Algae Industry Magazine) he Algae Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public about algae, its biology, ecology, cultivation and commercial potential, has been awarded a three-year grant from the Department of Energy to develop a college degree in
January 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Should the Ethanol Industry Promote E30 Fuel Blend?
by By Mikkel Pates (Grand Forks Herald) ... Brian West, deputy director of the Fuels, Engines and Emissions Research Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tenn., said the issue shouldn't be difficult with owners of flex-fuel vehicles that
January 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces $58 Million to Advance Fuel-Efficient Vehicle Technologies
(U.S. Department of Energy) U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz announced more than $58 million in funding for vehicle technology advancements and released a report highlighting the successes of DOE’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program while touring the
January 23, 2016 Read Full Article
US Energy Secretary Expresses Support for Biofuels at DC Auto Show
by Robert E. Kozak and Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) This year, for a change, in the introduction to his remarks at the Washington, DC Auto Show, US Energy Secretary Dr. Ernest Moniz pointed out the importance of alternative fuels
January 21, 2016 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces $15 Million for Advancements in Algal Biomass Yield, Phase 2 (ABY2)
(US Department of Energy) The Energy Department today announced up to $15 million in funding to develop technologies that are likely to succeed in producing 3,700 gallons of algal biofuel intermediate (or equivalent dry weight basis) per acre per year
January 15, 2016 Read Full Article
BESC Study Seeks Nature's Best Biocatalysts for Biofuel Production
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Researchers at the Department of Energy's BioEnergy Science Center are looking beyond the usual suspects in the search for microbes that can efficiently break down inedible plant matter for conversion to biofuels. A new comparative study
January 15, 2016 Read Full Article
RFA Comments on DOE’s Innovative “Optima” Program
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) The Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) had a call for information on Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines (Optima). The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) submitted comments stating that the Association agrees that “co-optimization of future
January 14, 2016 Read Full Article
One-Stop Shop for Biofuels
by Lynn Yarris (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) ... Led by Seema Singh and Blake Simmons, JBEI researchers have developed a “high-gravity” one-pot process for producing ethanol from cellulosic biomass that gives unprecedented yields while minimizing water use and waste disposal. The
January 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Switchgrass Key to Future Plant Hardiness?
(Agri-View/Renewable Energy World) The relationship between a prairie grass such as switchgrass and naturally occurring microbes may help shed light on growing hardier plants for livestock and humans. Understanding how microbes promote prairie grasses to grow in nutrient-deficient, marginal soils
January 13, 2016 Read Full Article
Defour Group and Transportation Fuel Consulting Post Responses to DOE Request Regarding Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines
(Defour Group/Transportation Fuels Consulting) Dean Drake of the Defour Group LLC (D4) and Gary Herwick of Transportation Fuels Consulting (TFC) have submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Energy's Request for Information about co-optimization of fuels and engines. Their response reflects their
January 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Indiana University Scientists Create 'Nano-Reactor' for the Production of Hydrogen Biofuel
(Indiana University Bloomington) Combining bacterial genes and virus shell creates a highly efficient, renewable material used in generating power from water -- Scientists at Indiana University have created a highly efficient biomaterial that catalyzes the formation of hydrogen -- one
January 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Algae-Derived Biofuels Gain Traction as Commercial Viability Increases
(Eco-Business/Future Market Insights) Algaculture, the farming of algae for fuel, is gaining traction globally as governments and private players look to leverage on the potential of algae as a biofuel. Concerns about depleting oil resources and the environmental impact of
January 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Bacteria Attack Lignin with Enzymatic Tag Team
(Rice University/Science Daily) Research shows how nature handles lignin -- New research shows how bacterial enzymes team up to attack lignin. The findings could lead to more efficient processes for creating biofuels from wood, grass and agricultural waste, say scientists. The molecules
January 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Poplar (Populus spp.) Trees for Biofuel Production
(Extension.org) If you are looking for a comprehensive article on poplar for biofuel production, this is for you. Table of Contents Introduction Current and Potential Use as a Biofuel Biology and Adaptation Production and Agronomic Information Harvest Potential Yields Production Challenges Estimated Production Cost Environmental/Sustainability Issues Feasibility Summary Bibliography For More Information Contributors to This
January 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Six-Year Study Suggests Perennial Crop Yields Can Compete with Corn Stover
by Mark E. Griffin (Wisconsin Energy Institute/University of Wisconsin) A six-year Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) study on the viability of different bioenergy feedstocks recently demonstrated that perennial cropping systems such as switchgrass, giant miscanthus, poplar, native grasses, and
December 30, 2015 Read Full Article
University of Delaware Researchers Develop Algae Biofuels
by Karen B. Roberts (University of Delaware/Biomass Magazine) ... At the University of Delaware, associate scientist Jennifer Stewart is working to create sustainable algae-based biofuels that could reduce carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions in the atmosphere. ... Many scientists have proposed growing algae
December 28, 2015 Read Full Article
A Familiar Friend in Unfamiliar Times: The Digest’s 2016 8-Slide Guide to Sorghum
by Bill Rooney (Biofuels Digest/Texas A&M) Sorghum has been identified by the US Department of Energy as an energy crop of interest. Owing to its high biomass yield, drought tolerance, established production systems, carbon life cycle, genetic resources and potential for further improvement and available hybrids. Texas A&M”s
December 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Algae: The Future of Biofuel?
by Anmar Frangoul (CNBC.com) Recent advances in technology mean the idea of creating fuel from sources as diverse as coffee and whisky is no longer science fiction. Another potential source gaining traction is algae. According to the U.S. Department of Energy
December 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Re-Thinking the Carbon Reduction Value of Corn Ethanol Fuel
by Ron Alverson (Ethanol Across America) It has been seven years since Argonne National Labs (ANL), as part of the Energy Security and Independence Act requirements, first determined the Life Cycle Carbon Intensity of mid-west corn ethanol fuel. ANL, using
December 23, 2015 Read Full Article
The 7 Flying Reindeer: Renewable Fuel Myths that Continue to Defy Gravity
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Food vs Fuel, biofuels causing corn planting to skyrocket, low oil prices killing off renewable fuels, the subsidy myth, the emissions myth, the “people won’t buy the fuels” myth, and the Insanity myth. ... In the world
December 23, 2015 Read Full Article
BETO Announces Notice of Intent (NOI) to Develop Pathways to Biofuels and Bioproducts
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Energy Department announces its intent to issue, on behalf of the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) entitled “MEGA-BIO: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels.” This FOA supports BETO’s goal of meeting its 2022
December 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Can PACE Project Drive Algal Biofuels to Marketability?
(Algae Industry Magazine) Dr. Richard Sayre, a scientist in the Bioenergy and Biome Sciences group at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the New Mexico Consortium, writes in the Santa Fe New Mexican about a new research project led by Los
December 22, 2015 Read Full Article
US Department of Energy Awards $13.5 Million to Enhance Sorghum for Biofuel
(Donald Danforth Plant Science Center/EurekAlert!) The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center announced that it will be part of a major collaborative research project to improve sorghum's productivity under resource-limited conditions. The research should lead to strategies to increase plant biomass
December 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Are We There Yet? A Biofuel Refinery Update
by Tom Ewing (Renewable Energy World) As oil prices plummet, are drop-in aviation biofuel refineries ever going to be built? --- In September 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE), along with the Departments of the Navy and Agriculture, announced a
December 22, 2015 Read Full Article
In Santa’s Stocking: 3 Big Wins for Renewable Fuels, Feedstocks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) $1 biodiesel tax credit extended through 2016, and much more. In Washington, lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate passed legislation for retroactive reinstatement of the $1 per gallon biodiesel mixture excise tax credit from January
December 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Protecting Public Health Through Cleaner Fuels and Lower Emissions
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing examining the health impacts of current octane sources and the need for cleaner, cost-effective octane providers. Octane is necessary for vehicle performance and increasing octane
December 18, 2015 Read Full Article
University of Illinois Awarded Grant to Support Sorghum Research
(University of Illinois/Biomass Magazine) The University of Illinois has been awarded a 3-year, $5 million grant from the DOE Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy as part of its OPEN 2015 funding initiative (ARPA-E OPEN). Under Principal Investigator Andrew Leakey, Associate Professor of
December 18, 2015 Read Full Article
BETO Seeks Stakeholder Input on the Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) have released a request for information (RFI) titled “Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines” (Optima).
December 18, 2015 Read Full Article
Federal Agencies Release Update on National Biogas Activities
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) In support of the Obama Administration's Climate Action Plan, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) jointly released the Biogas Opportunities Roadmap Progress Report today
December 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Ramp up Them thar Bioeconomy: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to Berkeley Lab and ABPDU
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Part of the Lawrence Berkeley National Labs, established by the United States Department of Energy, is the Advanced Biofuels Process Demonstration Unit, designed to help ramp up the bioeconomy. ABPDU enables early stage advanced biofuels, biomaterials, and
December 16, 2015 Read Full Article
NREL's Min Zhang Keeps Her "Bugs" Happy, Leading to Biofuel Breakthroughs
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Senior Scientist Min Zhang has a special relationship with Zymomonas mobilis, a rod-shaped bacterium that has bioethanol-producing capabilities. Of her 80 peer-reviewed papers and 21 U.S. patents in the field of biochemistry
December 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Notice of Intent (NOI) to Issue Funding Opportunity for Advancements in Algal Biomass Yield, Phase 2
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announces its intent to issue, on behalf of the Bioenergy Technologies Office, a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) entitled “Advancements in Algal Biomass Yield,
December 15, 2015 Read Full Article
New Catalyst Paves Way for Bio-Based Plastics, Chemicals
by Tina Hilding (Washington State University News) Washington State University researchers have developed a catalyst that easily converts bio-based ethanol to a widely used industrial chemical, paving the way for more environmentally friendly, bio-based plastics and products. The researchers have published
December 15, 2015 Read Full Article
A Metabolic Pathway in Cyanobacteria Could Yield Better Biofuels and Bioproducts from Photosynthesis
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Scientists from the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have discovered that a metabolic pathway previously only suggested to be functional in photosynthetic organisms is actually a major pathway and can enable efficient conversion of
December 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Kansas Ethanol: Closing of Abengoa Plant at Hugoton Shouldn't Dash Hopes for Cellulosic Ethanol
by John Montgomery (The Hutchinson News) ... Abengoa shut down the plant last month – eliminating about 50 jobs – a little more than a year after a grand opening celebration featuring high-level state and federal officials. The company also
December 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Obama's Climate Change Hypocrisy
by Paul Alexander (Huffington Post) Some commentators have argued President Barack Obama suffers from a failure of leadership. That was evidenced once again last week when he traveled to Paris to demand the world cut greenhouse gas emissions on the
December 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Biosensor Technology Will Visualize Movement of Phosphate from Soil Fungi to Plant Roots
(Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research/EurekAlert!) DOE-funded project will track movement of phosphate in real time -- Professor Maria Harrison has received part of a $1.2 million grant from the Department of Energy to support the development of biosensors to
December 11, 2015 Read Full Article
DOE Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels Workshop Summary Report Now Available Online
(U.S. Department of Energy) On July 16, 2015, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office hosted the Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels Workshop in Westminster, Colorado. The purpose of the workshop was to get stakeholder input about the potential role of
December 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Why Algae Could Be the Greatest—and Trickiest—Fuel Source of All
by Bryan Lufkin (Gizmodo) From powering airplanes to replacing nuclear energy, algae has been touted as a green energy miracle. So if our waterways are already filled with the stuff, why isn’t it filling the world’s skies with biofueled planes?
December 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Great News on DCA and We Don’t Mean Shorter Lines at Reagan National
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) You can have a transformative world or materials at affordable prices — but if you want both, you might well be seeing dicarboxylic acids somewhere in the mix. That’s why JBEI’s latest and greatest is worth
December 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Abengoa Contagion Spreads to U.S. Biofuel Plants, Causing Layoffs and Shutdowns
by Rob Nikolewski (Kansas Watchdog.org) ... “I think we have to see how this thing plays out. In the short run, of course, it’s a devastating blow,” said Neal Gillespie, Stevens County Economic Developmentdirector. “In the long run, I think there’s a
December 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Bioenergy Projects Receive DOE ARPA-E Grants
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz has announced that the U.S. DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy has awarded $125 million to 41 energy technology projects, four of which involve bioenergy or biomass. ... Projects relevant to the bioenergy
December 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Rep. Pompeo Investigates Failing Obama-Backed Green Energy Company
(The Daily Caller News Foundation) Rep. Mike Pompeo is demanding information on Abengoa, a Spanish green energy firm on the brink of bankruptcy that could leave U.S. taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars. The Kansas Republican is worried Abengoa’s
December 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Discovery Advances Biowaste-to-Jet Fuel Research
by Maegan Murray (WSU Tri-Cities/Washington State University) Researchers at Washington State University Tri-Cities have figured out a way to successfully convert a common wood byproduct into hydrocarbon molecules that could be used as jet fuel. Bin Yang, an associate professor of
December 04, 2015 Read Full Article
The Bioenergy Quiz Is a Fun Digital Learning Tool
(U.S. Department of Energy) Looking for a way to get your students excited about taking a quiz? Then check out the Bioenergy Technology Office’s bioenergy quiz. This interactive, user-friendly tool is a great way for students to explore new concepts
December 03, 2015 Read Full Article
BETO-Funded Projects Win at the 2015 R&D 100 Awards
(U.S. Department of Energy) Two projects funded by the Energy Department’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) have received awards at this year’s 2015 R&D 100 Awards. The annual “Oscars of Invention” awards recognize excellence in innovative technologies; BETO projects have had strong showings
December 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Three New Technologies to Make Energy Cleaner, More Efficient
by Frances White (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) Three technologies — a computational tool to improve power grid planning, a process to create biofuel from kelp and a hybrid device that makes hydrogen and stores energy — are being developed by
December 03, 2015 Read Full Article
GREET Model Expanded to Better Address Biofuel Life-Cycle Analysis Research Questions
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model allows researchers and analysts to fully evaluate the energy and emission impacts of advanced vehicle technologies and new transportation fuels. Argonne National Laboratory recently
December 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Boeing, Canadian Aviation Industry Launch Sustainable Aviation Biofuel Project
(PR Newswire) Boeing (NYSE: BA), the University of British Columbia (UBC) and SkyNRG, with support from Canada's aviation industry and other stakeholders, are collaborating to turn leftover branches, sawdust and other forest-industry waste into sustainable aviation biofuel. Canada, which has extensive
December 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Innovations in Transportation, Energy Storage and Alternative Energy Sources: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to Argonne National Laboratory
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Multidisciplinary teams of scientists and engineers at Argonne are advancing the basic energy sciences, focusing their research and development on a broad portfolio of sustainable and clean energy technologies. Innovations in transportation, energy storage and
December 03, 2015 Read Full Article
The 2016 US Outlook for Ethanol and Biodiesel
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... “In the old days, ethanol was a political commodity,” Informa Economics Senior VP Scott Richman told the crowd assembled at the Canadian Bioeconomy Conference in Vancouver this week, organized by the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association. “Now, it’s
December 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Misleading about Ethanol
by Brooke Coleman (Advanced Biofuels Business Council/Times Argus) In “Ethanol is a bad deal for Vt.” (online Nov. 21), a group called the American Council for Capital Formation argues that ethanol is a bad deal for Vermonters economically and environmentally. The allegations
December 02, 2015 Read Full Article
RFA: EPA’s Final RFS Rule Puts Future of Biofuels & Climate Policy in Hands of Oil Industry
(Renewable Fuels Association) Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) renewable volume obligations (RVOs) for 2014, 2015 and 2016 that refiners have to meet in blending biofuels with gasoline. The agency increased the blending
November 30, 2015 Read Full Article
US Department of Energy Launches Clean Energy Investment Center
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest/U.S. Department of Energy) In Washington, as part of a series of linked announcements for the launch of the Paris Climate Summit this week, the Obama Administration launched the Clean Energy Investment Center to advance private, mission-oriented investment
November 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol Production Hits Record as Distillers Are Flush with Corn
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg News/Milwaukee, Wisconsin Journal Sentinel) Flush with grain from the third-largest U.S. corn harvest, ethanol distilleries are cranking out unprecedented amounts of the biofuel. Ethanol production last week reached a record 1 million barrels a day, for an annualized
November 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Birthplace of Major Technologies: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Today, more than 4,300 are employed at PNNL; the FY14 business volume was $1.02 billion. The Richland campus includes unique laboratories and specialized equipment as well as the William R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a DOE Office of
November 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Whole Crop Utilization: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to Idaho National Laboratory’s BioEnergy Program
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) INL’s program aims to overcome key technical barriers facing the U.S. bioenergy industry by systematically researching, characterizing, modeling, demonstrating, and harnessing the physical and chemical characteristics of the nation’s diverse agricultural residues. By finding ways
November 24, 2015 Read Full Article
Sequencing Algae’s Genome May Aid Biofuel Production
by James Urton (University of Washington) ... University of Washington scientists have sequenced the complete genetic makeup of one of these algae. As they recently reported in the journal PLOS Genetics, it is only the second time that researchers have sequenced the
November 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Oil and Biofuels Lobby White House on Renewable Fuel Standard Ahead of Nov. 30 Deadline
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) In the lead-up to the administration’s release of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), it’s been a veritable who’s who of renewable fuels and petrochemical refiners visiting the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
November 20, 2015 Read Full Article
UT-Led Research Benefiting Alternate Fuels, Materials
(University of Tennessee) As interest in biofuels has surged in recent years, the question about how to best handle lignin—a material found in the cell walls of plants that is a byproduct of biofuel production—has become a primary concern. Thanks to
November 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Propel Fuels Reports Strong Consumer Adoption of Renewable Diesel as Retail Sales Rise 300 Percent in Southern California
(Propel Fuels/PR Newswire) Drivers Choose Superior Performance, Better Value and Cleaner Emissions of Diesel HPR -- Propel Fuels launched Diesel HPR (High Performance Renewable) across Southern California in August 2015, and consumer adoption of the fuel has risen 300 percent compared
November 18, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA’s Final RVO Rule and the Myth of Falling Gasoline Demand
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) One of the oil industry’s favorite talking points in its campaign to repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is the argument that “gasoline demand is falling,” and thus refiners have fewer gallons of gasoline
November 17, 2015 Read Full Article
RFS Crucial to Clean Energy Future
by Tom Buis (Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) With rapidly growing energy demands, our nation and others must invest in homegrown biofuels that are cleaner, cheaper and offer a more reliable supply than fossil fuels, writes Tom Buis. When EPA Administrator Gina
November 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Lifting Sustainable Transportation: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) NREL develops clean energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices, advances related science and engineering, and provides knowledge and innovations to integrate energy systems at all scales. READ MORE
November 16, 2015 Read Full Article
The Ministry of All the Talents: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to the Joint BioEnergy Institute
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) JBEI’s mission is to convert biomass to biofuels. The goal is to provide the nation with clean, renewable transportation fuels identical to gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Inside JBEI’s Emeryville laboratories, researchers are using the latest
November 13, 2015 Read Full Article
ORNL Team Discovers Mechanism behind Direct Ethanol-to-Hydrocarbon Conversion; Implications for Energy Efficiency and Cost of Upgrading
(Green Car Congress) Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have discovered that the reactions underlying the transformation of ethanol into higher-grade hydrocarbons unfolds in a different manner than previously thought. The research, supported by DOE’s BioEnergy Technologies Office (BETO), has
November 06, 2015 Read Full Article
DE-FOA-0001444 Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy: A Joint Research
The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), hereby announce their interest in receiving applications for genomics- based research
November 06, 2015 Read Full Article
U.S. Oil Refiners Look Abroad for Crude Supplies as North Dakota Boom Fades
by Jarrett Renshaw and Catherine Ngai (Reuters) ... North Dakota's Bakken production peaked at 1.153 million barrels per day in June, and had fallen to 1.13 million barrels per day by August, according to state data. The supply restraint has made Bakken
November 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Neutrons Help Decipher Enzyme Function for Cellulosic Conversion
(Technical University of Munich/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Using neutrons, researchers have now investigated the reaction mechanism of an important class of enzymes: the glycosidases. The measurements were made at the neutron sources in Los Alamos and Oak Ridge (USA), as
November 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Vertimass, DOE Validate Benchmarks, Process Design for High-Yield Alcohol-to-Fuels Technology
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Vertimass completed its DOE technology validation that verifies the benchmark performance, initial process design and preliminary cost information for a new award of $2 million by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technology
November 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Fuels America: How Did the Oil Industry Suddenly Become Obama Administration Climate Policy Advisors?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, Fuels America will launch a seven-figure TV and digital ad campaign Friday morning depicting President Obama’s choice of who to listen to when it comes to the Renewable Fuel Standard: his own experts
November 02, 2015 Read Full Article
New Ozone Regulations Ignore Tailpipe Exhaust
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) welcomes new ozone standards that will further protect public health from the negative respiratory, developmental, and other health effects of ozone exposure. The new standards, set at 70
October 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Energy Department Harvesting Technology Goes Commercial
by Alison Goss Eng and Daniel Adams (U.S. Department of Energy) ... Earlier this year, we highlighted five cost-saving harvesting technologies that private companies and universities developed through $21 million in 2009 funding from the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO). At the
October 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Turn Your Halloween Pumpkins Into Power
(U.S. Department of Energy) ... The Energy Department’s Bioenergy Technologies Office is working together with industry to develop and test integrated biorefineries—facilities capable of efficiently converting plant and waste material into affordable biofuels, biopower and other products. These projects are located around the country
October 29, 2015 Read Full Article
New BETO Fact Sheets Profile the Emerging Bioeconomy by State
(U.S. Department of Energy) How is funding from BETO a part of the emerging bioeconomy in some states? Find out with our new state fact sheets. For select states, these fact sheets give information about efforts to develop the advanced
October 29, 2015 Read Full Article
DOE Report : Ethanol Is Key for Increased Engine Efficiency and Reducing Emissions
(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) ... According to the DOE's 2015 Quadrennial Technology Review, the internal combustion engine is one of the most promising and cost-effective approaches to improving fuel economy in the near to mid-term. This, the DOE said, can be achieved
October 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Waste to Wisdom Project Shows Biomass Energy Potential
(Humboldt State University/Biomass Magazine) A potential revolution is unfolding on out-of-the-way logging roads. Foresters and researchers are innovating unique ways to make use of forest residues—low quality trees, tree tops, limbs, and chunks that formerly would have been left in
October 28, 2015 Read Full Article
New Design Reports Published by U.S. Department of Energy
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) pursues a pathway approach for advancing research and development (R&D) of converting biomass into renewable fuels and products. Following the BETO's successful demonstration of cost-competitive cellulosic ethanol production technologies—R&D efforts now focus on the
October 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Analysis Shows Greenhouse Gas Emissions Similar for Shale, Crude Oil
by Tona Kunz (Argonne National Laboratory) The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory this week released a pair of studies on the efficiency of shale oil production excavation. The reports show that shale oil production generates greenhouse gas emissions
October 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Supply Chain Sustainability Analyses Completed
(U.S. Department of Energy) This fiscal year, three Supply Chain Sustainability Analysis (SCSA) reports were published through Argonne National Laboratory. The SCSAs use a life-cycle analysis approach to identify energy consumption or environmental issues that may be associated with biofuel
October 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Multifunctional Landscapes: Site Characterization and Field-Scale Design to Incorporate Biomass Production into an Agricultural System
by Herbert Ssegane, M. Cristina Negri, John Quinn, Meltem Urgun-Demirtas (Biomass and Bioenergy) Design of a multifunctional landscape by integrating cellulosic biofuel production into an existing agricultural system. The design does not adversely offset current grain production for bioenergy crops. Maps of
October 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Three Sustainability Tools Are Enhancing Environmental Benefits of Biofuels
by Kristen Johnson and Alicia Moulton (U.S. Department of Energy) At the Energy Department’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, we’re actively working to develop the advanced biofuels industry in a way that leads to positive impacts and that demonstrates responsible stewardship of
October 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Why Oil Is Cheap in October 2015 (Part 1 of 2)
by Robert E. Kozak* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Conventional wisdom about declining oil prices, mostly originating from US Department of Energy/Energy Information Administration (DOE/EIA), says the fall of oil prices over the past fifteen months is simply a result of an
October 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Largest Cellulosic Ethanol Plant in the World Opens October 30
(U.S. Department of Energy) The DuPont cellulosic ethanol facility, opening in Nevada, Iowa, on October 30, will be the largest cellulosic ethanol plant in the world. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) Director, Jonathan Male, alongside
October 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuels - High-Octane Payoff ...
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Ethanol's inherently high octane rating makes it attractive for meeting fuel economy and greenhouse gas targets and renewable fuel mandates, according to an Oak Ridge National Laboratory report. Although ethanol has two-thirds the energy density of
October 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Now on Deck: The Digest’s 2015 8-Slide Guide to the DOE’s Quadrennial Review of Energy R&D
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) QTR 2015 describes the current energy landscape, the potential for improvement in systems and technologies, and a wide-ranging set of related RDD&D opportunities. Energy technologies are assessed with respect to their potential security implications, economic
October 26, 2015 Read Full Article
No Rich White Guy Left Behind: The Selling of Electric Cars as Zero Emission Vehicles
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Electric cars and their $1600 cost per ton for CO2 reduction. And, yep, you’re paying for it. Electric cars have environmental benefits, no doubt about it, and anyone who drives one is making a contribution to
October 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Researcher Receives Grant to Improve Biofuel Production
by Michelle Fredrickson (WSU News) A researcher at Washington State University has received a three-year $450,000 federal grant to develop computer models for using iron to more efficiently refine bio-oils and make better biofuels. Jean-Sabin McEwen, assistant professor in the Voiland
October 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Seeking Better Biofuels
by Melody M. Bomgardner (Chemical & Engineering News) Researchers at the Joint BioEnergy Institute transform biomass into energy-rich fuel molecules -- .. JBEI researchers are zeroing in on concepts that others have decided are too difficult or would take too
October 26, 2015 Read Full Article
Marginal Soil Can Make for Good Biofuel Crops
(Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) Switchgrass, a perennial native to the tallgrass prairie, is one of the most promising bioenergy crops in the United States, with potential to provide high-yield biomass on marginal soils unsuitable for traditional agricultural crops. New research by
October 23, 2015 Read Full Article
Pilot Plant Completes Two 1,000-Hour Ethanol Performance Runs
(US Department of Energy) ICM Inc. announced successful completion of two 1,000-hour performance runs of its patent-pending Generation 2.0 Co-Located Cellulosic Ethanol process at its cellulosic ethanol pilot plant in St. Joseph, Missouri. This is an important step toward the
October 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuels Maker Paid Back Its Federal Loan Without Selling Any Ethanol
by Michael Bastasch (Daily Caller) Abengoa Bioenergy got nearly $230 million in federal loans and grants to build a massive cellulosic biofuel refinery capable of producing 25 million gallons of ethanol every year. The company, however, says it has paid back
October 22, 2015 Read Full Article
Hawaiian Electric Pilot Algae Fuel Supply Deal Falls through - Report
by Plamena Tisheva (See News) A pilot contract for the supply of algae-derived biofuel to Hawaiian Electric Co by Ohio-based Phycal Inc has been terminated after the algae project was never finished, a spokesman for the utility told Pacific Business News
October 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Researchers Receive $15 Million for Biofuel Crop Study
(UT News) A researcher at The University of Texas at Austin will receive two grants totaling $15 million to study a native prairie grass, including how it can become a sustainable source of bioenergy amid global climate change. Tom Juenger, a
October 21, 2015 Read Full Article
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